Travel

Travel

Ultratravel: the next big thing

Upcoming events, trends, ideas, phenomena and feats of large-scale engineering from the world of luxury travel.

Picture: store.ferrari.com/events

NOBU IN LAS VEGAS
Superchef Nobu Matsuhisa (above) is big, with 26 restaurants to his name, but his latest opening in the US is positively gargantuan. With 11,200sq ft of floor space, Nobu Las Vegas seats 327 – twice the capacity of a Boeing 737-800 – and cost $30 million (£19 million) to build: entirely fitting in America’s capital of scale and ostentation.
(caesarspalace.com/nobu)

Picture: (caesarspalace.com/nobu)

RIVA 63’ VIRTUS
Making a big splash at the Cannes Boat Show this weekend will be this 63ft monster, the largest open yacht ever produced by the legendary Italian boat builder. With a top speed of 40 knots and a cruising speed of 35 , Riva’s flagship is sporty as well as sleek, its teak deck and stainless-steel fittings recalling the styling of the 1950s. The price of the Virtus has yet to be announced (riva-yacht.com).

Picture: riva-yacht.com

OPULENCE IN GREECE
Turning a blind eye to austerity, Aman makes its mark – big time – with Amanzoe, its latest resort , sprawled across a hillside near Porto Heli on the east coast of the Peloponnese . At its centre is a vast reflection pool with a circular terrace as its hub, a watery theme continued in the 38 calm, secluded guest pavilions, each with its own pool. From £825/£650 per night (00 800 22 55 2626 , amanresorts.com ).

Picture: amanresorts.com

FIFTIES REVIVAL IN PUERTO RICO
The former Rockefeller hotel, built in 1958, reopens in December after its dazzling renovation by Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Once a grapefruit and coconut plantation, the estate has an aquatic playground fashioned from an old Puerto Rican mill. $1,200/£765 a night (doradobeach.com).

Picture: doradobeach.com

HERITAGE RETREATS
The serene 60ft pool (above) at Lakshman Sagar , Rajasthan – a 32-acre “heritage retreat” opening this month – proves that simple pleasures can trump the sumptuous. The retreat, built around a 19th-century hunting lodge, has 12 mud-and-stone cottages, each with a fireplace and plunge pool. From £205 per night for two, full board (sewara.com).

Picture: sewara.com

SURREAL SCREENINGS
An indoor swimming pool, a Bollywood beach party and a volcanic lava-cave deep underground (the mysterious Cinema at the Centre of the Earth ) are among the more unusual venues for screenings at the ninth Reykjavik International Film Festival , which gets under way this month.
The festival runs from September 27 to October 7 . Five-night stays cost from £600 per person, excluding flights (icelandairhotels.com).

Picture: icelandairhotels.com

SHOW OF GOLD
The Olympics may be over, but London is once again the setting for a glorious display of precious metal. This month, the largest ever Goldsmiths’ Fair takes place in the Italianate Goldsmiths’ Hall . Spread over two weeks, September 24-30 and October 2-7 , it provides an opportunity to buy direct from leading silverware and jewellery designers (thegoldsmiths.co.uk/events ).

Picture: thegoldsmiths.co.uk/events

First came the vast, luminous showroom of the £15-million Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena , northern Italy. Inside are 30 classic cars of historical significance displayed on plinths like works of art, surrounded by motoring memorabilia, photographs and, where possible, video footage of the cars in action. Now, from this autumn, fans can also get behind the wheel of a Ferrari on two new driving courses held at the Fiorano test circuit, 11 miles away, near Maranello.
(store.ferrari.com/events ).